The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) is currently hosting a three day Inter-Regional Meeting on Strengthening capacity for evidence-based social protection policies for responding to the Triple Global Crisis in Fuel, Food and Finance.
The meeting being held in Livingstone has brought together regional and international delegates to share insights, forge new partnerships, and explore innovative approaches to building resilient social protection systems.
Speaking when she officially opened the meeting, Ministry Permanent Secretary, Ms. Angela Kawandami emphasized the importance of evidence-based social protection policies in addressing poverty, vulnerability, and inequality.
She said the meeting comes at a crucial point when the world is not only dealing with the ongoing effects of the food, fuel, and finance crises but also facing an increasingly complex web of challenges, including rising debt distress, especially in low and middle-income countries.
She highlighted that Sub-Saharan Africa, remains home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor citing aftershocks of the covid-19 pandemic, compounded by the triple global crisis, growing debt burdens, and limited fiscal space as deepening vulnerability and threatening the ability of governments to invest across the social sector, especially in long-term, resilient, and inclusive development pathways.
She highlighted Zambia’s commitment to prioritizing social protection as part of its national development framework, with a population now exceeding 19.6 million and growing at a rate of 3.5% annually with more than 60% of people live in poverty, with rural communities, women, and young people disproportionately affected.
She commended the United Nations and its partners for this timely and relevant project, which aims to strengthen the use of evidence to inform robust, sustainable, and crisis-responsive social protection policies.
Speaking at the same function, United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Chief of Service, Mr. Amson Sibanda stated that key goal of this inter-regional workshop is to learn and share cross-regional knowledge that will contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He expressed optimism that the deliberations will amplify what works, identify gaps, and create a shared roadmap for adaptive and inclusive social protection.
The meeting has attracted participants from Namibia, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Maldives, Cambodia, Tanzania, Ghana and Zambia.
